Madrid and Malaga - Days 2, 3, and 4

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Friday night - Madrid

Friday night in Madrid was crazy, the central area was packed with tourists and locals looking to blow off some steam. The rumors that food is not available until 11:00 PM at night are not true unless you are looking for a traditional restaurant for a sit down meal. Tapas bars are always open for something to eat, even at 3 o'clock in the morning! So far the strangest tapas has been sautéed pigs ears in garlic and olive oil, and believe it or not they were very good, even Lisa gave them a try. So far our favorite tapa is croquettas, which is mashed potato, cheese, and either chicken or ham that is rolled into a ball and deep fried. Jim's rule of thumb, if it is deep fried it has to be good and again this holds true. We decided to make it an early night as we needed to catch a 7:35 AM train to Malaga on Saturday.

Saturday - Malaga

We left the apartment around 6:30 am on Sunday and there were still some people out from the evening before. The train ride to Malaga from Madrid is two and half hours long if there are no delays. Our trip was delayed along the way so it took three hours. The last stop before Malaga is Cordoba. After we left Cordoba, the train hit 300 K/ph - approximately 200 mph. Malaga is on the southern coast of Spain and is a tourist destination for Europeans because of the warm climate and beaches. Unfortunately the weather in Malaga when we arrived was overcast and cool at 62 degrees. The train station in Malaga is rather new and is more of a shopping mall than a train station. There must be over 50 stores and restaurants in a multi-level building. From the train station the walk to central Malaga is about a mile. The trip from the train station to central Malaga is a little run down but central Malaga is very pretty. Our first stop was the Picasso museum where many of his works owned by his family are on display. Malaga is also the birthplace of Picasso. It was interesting to see his work through various mediums including pottery, oil paintings, etchings, charcoal, and others. There was even a painting on a cupboard door on display. Imagine a kitchen with an original Picasso on one of the cabinets.

After the museum we walked back to the center of town and got a bite to eat. After lunch we walked to Malagalueta which is the beachfront area of Malaga. There were some kids in the water. It must not have been too cold for them. We must have walked 100 miles by now and the size of our ankles prove it. We got back to Madrid around 10:30 or so and decided to stay in and enjoy a whisky or two.

Sunday - Madrid

First thing Sunday morning we walked southl Rastro We have found a good place for breakfast - Casa Carmen. While today is only our second time there, the waitress remembers us. Jim found the only microbrewery in Madrid so we had to stop by on our way to the park. Interestingly enough the small brewery makes German beers and the place is a lot of fun. The Dunkles style was Jim's favorite as most beer in Spain is a light lager. After a few beers and snacks, we headed to Parque del Retiro, sort of Spain's Golden Gate Park that covers 346 acres. The grounds used to be part of a palace but it has been opened up as a public park. There is a lake and rowboat rentals. Since the weather was around 75, all the rowboats were rented and the park was packed. There were people laying all over the grass soaking in the sun. We had a great day relaxing in the park after all the walking yesterday.

Jim joked that he would hate to be a pig in Spain because everywhere you go there is some kind of pork product for sale. From Iberico and Serrano hams, which are similar to proscuitto but better. All kinds of salamis, sausages both fresh and cured, and of course pigs ears. We cannot seem to walk by a carneceria, meat store, without Jim have to step inside or take a picture of the display in the window. Lisa's keep saying, "it's just meat, what's the big deal?" She just does not understand..............

It was time to get a bite to eat so we went in search of a tapas bar we found on Friday that we enjoyed very much. However, the layout of Madrid is similar to a shattered window, random streets that start at Puerta del Sol and seem to wander left and right. We walked around for at least 90 minutes and finally came across another tapas bar we found on Thursday so we decided to go there. The same bartenders were there and they also remembered us. They immediately gave us paella and beer. The next snack they gave us was patatas bravo (spicy potatoes) and chorizo. From there we headed back to our neighborhood and found a little taverna that served Sangria and had outdoor seating. After a mishap with Lisa's camera, we met a couple from Canada. Russ and Cathy are from Hamilton (near Toronto) and they spent the next couple of hours with us. After about an hour, another woman walked over and apologized for being rude but she wanted to let us know how much she appreciated hearing English again. She was from Portland, Maine. We seem to meet people everywhere we go! We got to bed around 1:30 am. Tomorrow we go to Toledo.

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Photos

Puerta del Sol
Puerta del Sol at night

Central Malaga
The pedestrian zone in central Malaga. Lots of shopping and street artists.

Malagueta Beach
The beach front area west of central Malaga.

Madrid's Only Microbrewery
Small brewery in central Madrid that brews German style lagers

Parque del Retiro
Busy Sunday at the park in Madrid

Lake in the Park
The weather was warm and the locals rowed about the lake.

Comments

[Jim Sherman]

Doesn't Madrid need another MicroBrewery?
Jim can become the Micro Brewery Beer Mogul of Madrid??? Hell, we'll all come work for him! :D

[Jbrewco]

I Like the way you think
Mr. Sherman, your insight to my personal thoughts is uncanny. The problem is there is no way Lisa would be willing to move to Madrid and give up the sunny California lifestyle. I could however open up a micro or two here in Spain and travel once or twice a year to collect my gold doubloons from the profits. The best of both worlds, that is of course if I can get Lisa to manage my budget!

[Nicole Wood]

Manager application
You know, you'll need someone to manage that brewery...consider this mine & Woody's formal application! :)

[Jbrewco]

Your In!
Hi Nicole, Madrid really needs a good brewery where they use at least some hops in their beers. Most of what we have been drinking is a light lager other than the German style beers at the micro. Not suprisingly there are at least three Irish pubs in Madrid that serve Guinness or Murphy's stout. I have been looking for an import beer store to buy a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale but so far no luck. A good hoppy ale is what I am homesick for. Cheers, Jim

[Sayak's Travel Guide]

http://sayakstravelguide.blogspot.com/2010/04/madrid-spain.html
Madrid is a place with a lot of natural beauty, rich in history, and has a beautiful environment.